Headlines are swirling in Washington D.C. on a bipartisan infrastructure deal in the U.S. Senate and a $3.5 trillion budget reconciliation deal between Senate Democrats.  Host Damien Martin cuts through the static of the latest tax-related developments with guest Travis Lucas, managing principal of The Lucas Law Firm, and also checks in with BKD partners Chris Doolittle and Randy Throener to hear how taxpayers are reacting and planning amid uncertainty.  Listen to get answers to these questions: How are taxpayers approaching planning with so much unknown at this point? [02:58] Is th ..read more

On June 1, 2022, FORVIS was created by the merger of equals of BKD, LLP and Dixon Hughes Goodman, LLP (DHG). Host Damien Martin sits down with FORVIS CEO Tom Watson and FORVIS Governing Board Chair Matt Snow to discuss why and what it means for those inside and outside of the newly created firm, which ranks among the nation’s top 10 professional services firms. Here’s what they cover: Get to Know Matt & Tom What they set out to study when they entered college—and how that changed [01:59] Favorite ways to recharge [05:26] Book recommendations [07:51] The Forward Vision that Led to FORVIS ..read more

The American Institute of CPAs (AICPA) Tax Policy & Advocacy Team and volunteer members continually monitor and advocate on legislative, regulatory, and administrative tax matters. The team has been off to an active 2021, following a remarkably busy 2020. Guests Amy Wang and Alex Scott of the AICPA Tax Policy & Advocacy Team join host Damien Martin to share updates and provide insight into the current areas the team is closely watching and working in. Here’s what’s covered: [03:20] Update on virtual currency-related tax issues and the AICPA comment letter on IRS virtual currency guida ..read more

The U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) released two more interim final rules on the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) on Friday, May 22. Host Damien Martin calls up BKD’s Tad Goodenbour, James Anderson and Robb Conner to unpack the latest guidance and what it means for borrowers. ADDITIONAL RESOURCES MENTIONED IN THE EPISODE BKD alert: PPP Loan Forgiveness: What We Know (May 26, 2020) BKD article: SBA Releases PPP Loan Forgiveness Application (May 19, 2020) BKD webinar archive: COVID-19 PPP Loan Forgiveness: What We Know (May 18, 2020)   GET MORE “SIMPLY TAX” We’re excited to also p ..read more

The CPA credential is a symbol of trust and professionalism in the world of business that unlocks a career of endless opportunities. Host Damien Martin sits down with Todd Shapiro—the CEO of the Illinois CPA Society—and Tom Murtagh—chairperson of the Illinois CPA Society’s board of directors and BKD tax partner—to discuss the opportunities and challenges currently facing the CPA profession. Here’s what’s covered: The impact of the pandemic on the profession [01:48] Changes in expectations [06:50] A decline in the credential and a stagnating CPA pipeline [16:39] Relevance now and into the futu ..read more

Catalyst for corporate culture change and podcast host John Garrett joins host Damien Martin to discuss John’s latest book, What's Your "And"?: Unlock the Person Within the Professional, and the importance of having personal passions outside of the workplace. John shares some of the highlights of writing his book, how his message can help when adapting to the COVID-19 environment, and more. Here’s what’s covered: Foreword written by former Notre Dame football coach Lou Holtz @01:35 The experience of writing What's Your “And”? @07:56 The most difficult part of the writing process @12:10 Who’s ..read more

“Simply Tax” turns 100 by looking back and looking forward with Sam Allred, Jeremy Clopton and Heath Alloway of Upstream Academy on how accounting firms are responding to the coronavirus pandemic and preparing for future success. Here’s what’s covered: Looking back to the beginning of 2020 [02:43] Top four goals of managing partners, even during crisis [05:03] Areas of focus amid a pandemic [12:01] Lessons firms have learned so far [17:49] The do’s and don’ts of leadership in the present crisis [22:25] Advice for working and training in a remote environment [33:11] “Leadership in a time of cr ..read more

Guests Nik Fahrer and Tom Haldiman return to the podcast to follow up on and take a deeper dive into nonfungible tokens (NFTs) with host Damien Martin. Here’s what they discuss: Who are Nik and Tom? @01:15 What’s the significance of digital assets and where are we going with all of this? @04:48 Core NFT concepts and a real-world example from Beepol @14:32 Use cases for NFTs @29:09 Tax considerations of holding NFTs for appreciation @42:27 Estate and planning considerations @47:32 Buyer beware @49:22 Closing thoughts from Nik and Tom @53:02 An update on the digital asset space @54:16 Learn mo ..read more

FORVIS Private Client™ advisors Carlee Lynn, CFP® and Zach Swartz, CFA® join host Damien Martin to demystify the world of accumulating wealth and share real-world examples of the benefits of working with a financial planner. Here’s what they discuss: Who are Carlee and Zach and how did they get into the finance industry? [00:57] Who and what are the Wealth Accumulation Team? [04:54] It takes a multidisciplinary team [08:15] A real-world example with serving physicians [10:26] How to know if you need a financial advisor [12:42] Jargon and other common challenges [16:35] Planning for phases of ..read more

The New Markets Tax Credit (NMTC) Program is a federally funded program designed to attract private investment into distressed communities. Investors are incentivized to provide outside capital in exchange for credits against their federal income tax liability. Host Damien Martin sits down with guest Wes Ernst to discuss this sometimes-overlooked incentive and a new tool he helped to develop that improves speed, increases accuracy, and drives value through the entire NMTC process. Here’s what they discuss: Who is Wes Ernst? [01:19] What’s the NMTC and how does it work? [05:28] What industries ..read more